Prelude to a Beginning
by SopranoZone
Summary: Wendall hadn't been gone five minutes when Brennan let out a frustrated grunt as she threw the third not working pen into her trash can. B/B Labworld Fic AU verse of 4x26 End i/t Beginning, oneshot


**Prelude to a Beginning [A Labworld!Fic]**

_By Karen Roper_

_AN: This was a birthday gift for my dear friend Shadow71689  
_

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"Bren?"

She looked up at the call of her name, gracing the blonde bouncer with a smile.

"Are you leaving, Wendell?"

"Yeah, I'm done for the night. Are you staying?"

She nodded, glancing down at the stack of documents for a moment before looking up again.

"Yes, I still have some paperwork to look over. I'll probably leave in an hour or so."

He nodded, tossing his toothpick into the bin by the door.

"Alright. I've locked up, so don't forget your keys. I don't want to have to make another trip back here to let you out like last time."

She chuckled.

"No, that won't be happening again. Goodnight Wendall. I'll see you tomorrow."

With a curt nod, he turned to leave. He was gone only moments before he peeked back in.

"Hey, your jacket is out here on a table. Did you want-"

"No, leave it there. I've left it here two days in a row, and I put it there so I'll remember to grab it on my way out. Thank you, though."

"Okay. Later then."

-

Wendall hadn't been gone five minutes when Brennan let out a frustrated grunt as she threw the third not working pen into her trash can, glancing around for another. Sighing, she reached and pulled her purse into her lap, rummaging through. She paused as her hands encountered the small box. She pulled it out, turning it over in her hands for a moment before slipping her shoes back on and getting to her feet.

After reaching the bathroom, she completed the test, setting it on the counter before moving to the sink to wash her hands. As she shut off the faucet, she jumped as a loud groaning bang echoed from the wall behind her. Mentally chastising herself for jumping over a creaking pipe, she made a note to start cutting her evenings back a bit—the club could get erie at night once the lights and pounding music died. She grabbed a paper towel, then sighed deeply, leaning back against the wall and tried to quell her nerves.

Admittedly, she wasn't nervous about staying late on her own. It usually happened once or twice every other week, when Booth had meetings during the day with club sponsors. The quiet after the hours of pulsing allowed her to relax, letting her catch up on the responsibilities of running a nightclub. She was familiar with the sounds after the music went off, from occasional pops and shifts in the building, to the occasional left behind cell phone turned into the lost and found.

What unnerved her now was that innocent white stick sitting on the bathroom sink. This wasn't really something she and Booth had discussed. They were young, happy, and owners of a successful nightclub. Business was thriving, and despite no intentions to sell, they had many offers to buy out the club. This was something they hadn't really talked about since they'd become engaged, and that had been several years ago. She knew he was a family oriented man, and she herself had had a somewhat lonely childhood, being years younger than her only brother. Though neither of them were strictly opposed to children, she wasn't sure if this was something they were ready for in their marriage.

Glancing at her watch, she took a deep breath and stepped back toward the sink, the click of her heels echoing in the bathroom. As she read it, she felt a bubble of laughter escape her, as an excitement she hadn't even thought about before filled her. Grinning suddenly, she hurried out of the bathroom and back to her office. Suddenly wanting to leave immediately, she was disappointed when she saw the stack of paperwork left on her desk. Calming after a moment, she walked forward and began to go through the pile, determining exactly what had to be finished tonight.

"Bren?"

She looked up in surprise, smiling as her assistant knocked on the door."

"Hi, Zack. You're a little early."

"I had trouble sleeping last night, so I decided to come in. Are you just leaving?"

"Yes. I had a lot of paperwork to catch up on. I still have more to do, but I'm ready to leave."

"Did Mr B stay with you?"

"No, he was in meetings most of yesterday with a few of our sponsors. He ended up going home early."

"Would you like me to bring your car around while you finish getting ready then?"

"That'd be great, Zack," she said, tossing him her keys, which he caught with a rather proud grin on his face.

She absently threw several documents from Viziri into the shredder, trying to alternately finish paperwork and pack up her bag in a slightly distracted and disjointed fashion. Glancing at the clock, she cursed the long commute home; even if she left now, she'd be lucky if she got home before four thirty. She finally placed all the paperwork in a folder, before moving over to the safe and locking the documents inside. She then grabbed her purse and headed out of her office.

Zack met her by the door, holding it open for her as she walked out onto the street toward her car. She waved at him before getting in and driving away.

-

Once Brennan had entered their apartment building, she absently remembered that she'd left her coat behind again. She made it up the elevator in relative good time, only being delayed moments by a sleepwalking neighbor. She let herself into the apartment, locking the door behind her. After setting the keys on the end table, she left her purse on the couch as she walked toward their bedroom.

She stepped out of her shoes and dress, leaving her in a light camisole as she climbed into bed. She smiled as Booth woke, turning to lay on his back as she sidled up to his side. All the carefully chosen words she'd practiced on the way home left her mind as she spoke.

"Do you love me?"

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Reviews are muchly appreciated!


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